Right, it comes after you flee to Hong Kong with the goods.

So basically he's just an opportunist who lives in a country as long as it suits him and then leaves it when he's being inconvenienced?

Yes because he thought his life would be a lot more convinient by realeasing the NSA documents to the world. Generally whistle blowers are seen as having incredibly cushy lives. I too believe that Edward Snowden did it for the fame and fortune that were sure to follow the leak.

I'm sorry if this is overly sarcastic but I do not know what other kind of answer you'd expect. The basis of your question is seems not to be based in reality you might as well ask why the founding fathers didn't believe laws applied to them.

Sure, I get his perspective. But every now and then journalists ask difficult questions to interviewees.